RSEQ Week #10

Saturday @  UQAM

BU            20    22    19    21   -   83

UQAM    25    21    14    20   -   81

After Laval lost to Concordia on Thursday night we were guaranteed a playoff spot. UQAM beat McGill on Thursday as well.  This meant we would finish 4^th regardless of the outcome of this game. This game meant something to UQAM though. A win gave them a chance at finishing 2^nd and hosting a semi-final on Wednesday.

We approached this game with the mentality to compete to win, but with a game plan that ensured we did not play anyone max minutes. We scripted substitutions and had 2 or 3 different guys going in every 2 minutes. It worked out well with 11 guys playing at least 10 minutes and only 1 guy playing a little more than 22 minutes. Got the win, played a very deep bench and maintained the momentum we gained in the past 3 weeks. Mission accomplished.

Yassin with a career high 21 points! 

As you can tell by the score it was another tight game…17 lead changes and almost as many tied score situations. Once again it came down to the last minute and our guys executed when it counted. We did a pretty nice job offensively most of the game as we shot over 50% from the floor. Abdul Kamane ended up scoring the basket that put us ahead for good with about 24 seconds to go. We have been in so many close games this season that we just have developed a strong comfort level in these situations. This certainly gives us confidence heading into the playoffs.

Yassin Naji led us in scoring with 21 points. Yas has really come into his own the last few weeks and is playing with a lot of confidence. Abdul Kamane has not only regained his scoring form from last year as he scored 20 points, but he really is doing a nice job at the defensive end as well.   

The stage is set for the RSEQ playoffs Wednesday night in Montreal…UQAM @ McGill and BU @ ConU. We play the Stingers at 8PM. The last 3 weeks have prepared us for this game…we have been playing ‘must win’ games since the beginning of February and are as comfortable playing on the road as at home. ConU will be tough as they are the 1^st place team in our league. However, with the parity in our league you are going to have to play well and have a little bit of luck to win whether you are a higher seed or not.

Would love to see a few of our alumni and our fans out at ConU on Wednesday night. If you plan to attend remember that ConU’s venue does not exactly hold a lot of people and there is a women’s playoff game (ConU vs. Ryan Thorne’s McGill Martlets) at 6 pm before our game. Get there early if you want to get in!